Top ski resorts for powder

Advice from Upward Curve Inflight magazine if you’re looking for FRESH TRACKS: ‘With global skiing available all year round, it’s about finding a window and hitting the powder. Here are four incredible options across both hemispheres. Niseko, Val Thorens, Revelstoke and Perisher’. For the full article click here.

‘REVELSTOKE

British Columbia was the birthplace of heliskiing and Revelstoke is the jewel. Thanks for massive annual snowfall of light dry powder and the incredible variety of terrain to explore, Revelstoke has been the exclusive retreat of the elite heliskiing community for decades and Bighorn is the place to stay. Its beautiful timber-framed building is pure apes-ski indulgence. Imagine winding down after a day of skiing in the triple height great room, indulging in canapés in front of the roaring log fire. The ultimate luxury is the private helipad – you’ll find yourself at the top of a wilderness peak in minutes, with nothing but miles of pristine powder, glacial bowls and tree skiing that surpasses anything else on Earth.’

The 10 best ski resorts in Canada

The 10 Greatest Ski Resorts in Canada

Renowned Ski Journalist Peter Hardy reveals his top 10. Here’s what he says about:

Revelstoke, BC

Best for powder

Until 2008, Revelstoke attracted only a contrasting clientele of wealthy international heli-skiers and a scattering of locals, who frequented slopes served by one short lift. But then a world-class gondola and two fast chairlifts transformed it into a 1,214 hectares (3,000 acre) resort with the biggest vertical in North America (1,713m).

Revelstoke attracts huge amounts of powder snow – around 12m a year on average – and much of the terrain is steep and ungroomed. There are wonderful glades of trees and a big open bowl accessed through a cliff band – it’s essential to know the best ways in. The ski school offers half- and full-day private guiding – a must for any keen skier or snowboarder. The Steller quad chairlift accesses some beginner and intermediate terrain, giving the resort a family appeal that it previously lacked before.

revelstoke
Revelstoke boasts some of the best snow in North America Credit: Russell Dalby/Getty

The resort also has its own snowcat and heliskiing operations for accessing untracked snow. For committed powder hounds, the great beauty of Revelstoke is that there’s no need to book a full heli package and risk expensive ‘down days’ when weather conditions prevent helicopters flying. Instead, the decision on whether to heliski, snowcat ski or simply ride the gondola to explore the ample terrain can be made each morning after looking out of the window.

A new slopeside 154-room hotel is currently nearing completion, across from the existing Sutton Place Hotel. It has three helipads outside the door and will become the new home of resort-owned Selkirk Tangiers Heli Skiing.

There’s also a choice of hotels including the new Basecamp Suites in the heart of unpretentious Revelstoke town, a five-minute drive away, served by a daytime bus service and with a fair choice of restaurants and bars.

Where to stay

British-owned Chalet Bighorn at the resort village has eight extremely large bedroom suites and consistently wins awards as the top luxury chalet in North America – the quality of service and cuisine is extraordinary. There is a spa with pool, gym, sauna and massage rooms, cinema, outdoor hot tub and private helipad. From C$90,000 (£49,700), booked direct. A less exotic alternative is to stay in the historic old town at the Basecamp Suites, from C$326 (£119) per night in a one-bedroom suite, booked direct.  Both exclude travel.

Read the full article here

The 10 Ultimate Heliski trips from Japan to Patagonia

Go Big(horn) or go home

Gabriella Le Breton explains why Bighorn is in the top 10:

“The pioneer of fully serviced chalets in North America, Bighorn is set in the Revelstoke Mountain Resort, which combines big mountain resort skiing with heli-skiing and cat-skiing. The sumptuous eight-bedroom lodge has a helipad in its garden, placing the sprawling tenures of three leading heli-ski operators almost literally on the doorstep. Guests choosing to pass on the heli-skiing can explore the expansive pistes and back-country terrain of the resort of “Revy”, which claims North America’s greatest vertical drop (5,620ft), go cross-country skiing or watch the world’s best riders compete in big mountain competitions like the Yeti Natural Selection Tour, in which snowboarders compete on heli-ski terrain, as well as in the main resort.”

For the full article: click here


Joshua’s Magazine Features Bighorn in Issue Five

 

The exclusive men’s lifestyle publication JOSHUA’S Magazine features Bighorn in its latest issue. The magazine covers the most aspirational brands and experiences on offer in its limited edition Issue Five. JOSHUA’S beautifully written piece ignites new levels of excitement for the start of the season; “Skiing is a magical sport. It is pure, child-like adrenaline, a revisit of rushes felt careering down a hill on our bikes, head and shoulders tucked low to incite fancies of flight”. Writer Henry Samson continues; ” A ski season should be the highlight on anyone’s calendar and something so integral should be done right. Bighorn is our definition of right”. The article explores the uniqueness of the Bighorn experience, including heliskiing from a private heliapd, the indulgent facilities and the beauty of the “impressive timber-framed building”.

Read the full article here

 

The Best Powder Skiing in Canada

Skiing in Canada: the 10 best Canadian resorts, hotels and ski slopes

The infamous Revy POW!

Bighorn is listed as THE place to stay as Revelstoke is named as the Best Canadian Resort for POWDER.

In their latest article in The Telegraph, Felice and Peter Hardy say:

“Until 2008, Revelstoke attracted only a contrasting clientele of wealthy international heli-skiers and a scattering of locals, who frequented slopes served by one short lift. But then a world-class gondola and two fast chairlifts transformed it into a 3,000 acre resort with the biggest vertical in North America (1,713m).

Revelstoke attracts huge amounts of powder – around 12m a year on average – and much of the terrain is steep and is left ungroomed. There are wonderful glades of trees and a big open bowl accessed through a cliff band – it’s essential to know the best ways in. The ski school offers half- and full-day private guiding – a must for any keen skier or snowboarder. New for 2019/20, the Steller quad chairlift opens up some beginner and intermediate terrain, giving the resort a family appeal that it previously lacked. 

The resort also has its own snowcat and heliski operations for accessing untracked snow. For committed powder hounds the great beauty of Revelstoke is that there’s no need to book a full heli package and risk expensive ‘down days’ when weather conditions prevent helicopters flying. Instead, the decision on whether to heliski, snowcat ski or simply ride the gondola to explore the ample terrain can be made each morning after looking out of the window. 

Revelstoke has a small resort village at the foot of the slopes, with a hotel, separate restaurant, bar and coffee shop. There’s also a choice of hotels in unpretentious Revelstoke town, a five-minute drive away, served by a daytime bus service and with a fair choice of restaurants and bars.

Where to stay

British-owned Chalet Bighorn at the resort village has eight extremely large bedroom suites and consistently wins awards as the top luxury chalet in North America – the quality of service and cuisine is extraordinary. There is a spa with pool, gym, sauna and massage rooms, cinema, outdoor hot tub and private helipad. From C$74,750 half board for the whole chalet, not including travel.”

We couldn’t have said it better, ourselves! To read the article in full, click here

World’s 12 best places for heli-skiing

Revelstoke Mountain features in CNN’s list of the World’s top 12 heliski destinations. 
Why Revy?  Because it is “The epicenter of BC backcountry”.
“What happens when moist Pacific air meets cold, dry air from the Rockies? “Revy” cops the mother lode, that’s what — 40 to 60 feet a year of powder so light and fluffy it could be used to stuff a comforter.
If that isn’t enough, there’s Bighorn Lodge. This ultra-luxe alpine-style chalet for 16 overlooking the Columbia River at the foot of Revelstoke Mountain Resort has its own helipad out front.
Guests can choose from one of three heli operators — Canadian Mountain HolidaysSelkirk-Tangiers, Eagle Pass — and soar up to the Selkirk and Monashee mountain ranges.
They’ll need pockets as deep as the snow, but floating down open bowls gulping in white champagne, or whooping and hollering through old growth forests with just three pals and a guide is priceless.
Almost.”
To read the full article, please click here.

Bring on the Pow!

Courtesy of Revelstoke Mountain Resort

 

Revelstoke is renowned for it’s legendary pow and last season was record breaking with over 12 metres of snowfall (a 10 year high!).  This season looks set to compete with that with nearly 7 metres already at the start of January, incredible conditions on and off the slopes and the season’s only just getting started!   This is what makes January skiing momentous – it’s a quiet time of year to ski (shh…don’t tell everyone!) and the pow is amazing!  With conditions like this, what more can we say?  Enough talking, let’s go skiing!

An evening with Chemmy Alcott: GB Olympic Skier

Last week, we were invited to spend the evening with the GB Olympic racer, Chemmy Alcott at the Ski Club of Great Britain’s new partner venue, the White Haus in London.  Hosted by James Orr Heliski and attended by members of the ski press as well as heli ski enthusiasts, it was another brilliant evening allowing us to talk all things skiing with fellow ski fanatics.

Chemmy, widely regarded as one of Great Britain’s best ever female skiers, has recently been speaking about sexism and the gender gap in skiing in the press and makes some interesting points about why there aren’t more women heliskiing.  She’s passionate about changing this and we couldn’t agree more!  Check out the article here.

At Bighorn, our trusted heliski operators CMH, EaglePass and Selkirk Tangiers are all highly professional and prioritise safety, as well as ensuring all our guests have the most amazing heliski days possible…guys and gals alike!  No sexism here, just a mutual respect, not just for the beautiful area we are privileged enough to ski in, but also for every single skier who wants to bring their game.